Archive for nina simone

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The Book Booth is a weekly feature at The Political Carnival, relating news, notes, and reflections from the world of books and publishing. It is written by @SeattleDan and SeattleTammy, operators of an on-line bookstore (which you can find here) , who have been in the book business since shortly after the Creation, or close to 6000 years now.

The Book Booth: Birds Flying High Edition

Another week and again the news does not fail to amaze. I'm sure everyone's heard all the jokes already and I don't have anything to add. But my neck is sore from all the head shaking.

The great Meryl Streep made headlines with her acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globe Awards earlier in the week, prompting Signature to identify her top ten film roles based on literary sources. Of course her take on Sophie in Sophie's Choice is wonderful, but I have a sneaky regard for her Susan Orlean in the film Adaptation, the Spike Jonez/Charlie Kauffman film.Meryl Streep is a Wonderful Actress

I posted last week on other film adaptations from books that will be released this coming year. The Guardian has its own list which includes other movies not on that list. There will be a Trainspotting 2; and Margaret Atwood has another work being adapted in Alias Grace in addition to the new version of The Handmaid's Tale.More Film Adaptations We'll See in 2017

During the past week we also saw the first anniversary of the passing of David Bowie. It turns out that he and the novelist of The Hours, Michael Cunningham, attempted to collaborate on a musical that did not come to fruition. Mr. Cunningham discusses the work as well as his relationship with Bowie here for GQ Magazine.Michael Cunningham on Working with David Bowie

The Persian poet Rumi has had a following among readers in the West for some time now. Rumi was, of course, a Sufi mystic, and Sufism is a sect of Islam. However, as Rozina Ali explores in this New Yorker article, the poet's Islamic faith is somehow being erased from his legacy.Where Did Rumi's Islamic Faith Go?

The unreliable narrator has been a part of the novelistic tradition for some time now, and pre-dates its use by Joseph Conrad and Ford Maddox Ford at the beginning of the 20th century. Here Sarah Pinborough discusses her top ten unrelialbe narrators for the Guardian. And for what it is worth, I have not yet read Girl on a Train.Unreliable Narrators in Fiction

Unless the writer is an adherent of Jack Kerouac's dictum on spontaneous prose, most authors revise their first drafts. Over and over again. Twelve writers discuss the revision process here for LitHub.Those First and Second and Third and Fourth Drafts

The idea of the Great American Novel goes back to 1868 and there have been many candidates since that time. Ernest Hemingway famously said (incorrectly) that all American Literature comes from Huck Finn. But other writers have their own ideas on what that work might be as Emily Temple lists, once again, for LitHub.So...Has Anyone Written the Great American Novel Yet? What Is It?

Say you're a librarian and you love so many books that are going to be discarded from your system because no one has checked those books in over a year. What do you do? You go rogue, of course! But be careful about getting caught. Thanks to Lucian for this link.Rogue Librarians Fight Back!

Alas, this past week we lost the author and jazz critic Nat Hentoff at age 91. He wrote for The Village Voice for many years and shared his passions for civil liberties and for jazz. He will be missed. NPR has this appreciation.Nat Hentoff Has Moved On

On Monday we will celebrate the life of Martin Luther King jr. With the upcoming inauguration, we must never forget what this man meant for our country and our hopes for freedom. And what does freedom feel like? Ms. Nina Simone tells us in this song written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley for the musical The Roar of the Greasepaint, The Smell of the Crowd.

Please note: For some reason YouTube says that I cannot 'embed' this song (which would mean that you could play it directly from the Book Booth. Since I can't, please go to YouTube directly here.

Have a wonderful weekend, read much and let us know what words you are devouring. We'd love to know. Attachments area

The Book Booth is a weekly feature at The Political Carnival, relating news, notes, and reflections from the world of books and publishing. It is written by @SeattleDan and SeattleTammy, operators of an on-line bookstore (which you can find here) , who have been in the book business since shortly after the Creation, or close to 6000 years now.

The Book Booth: The Waters of March Edition

We are getting the waters of March here in our town, with the pineapple express bringing us late winter rains. It's probably good that all northwesterners have webbed feet to help guide us along our soggy roads. And the Waters of March is one of the great tunes that the wonderful Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim has given us; you will see the youtube link at the bottom.

So I'm in a musical frame of mind and it just so happens, Rolling Stone recommends four new reads. I'm particularly intrigued by the new bio of Nina Simone, who's life was recently presented in documentary form by Netflix.Nina Simone's Life/Rock Books

Great literature has lent itself to other art forms for centuries, including opera. But I had no idea that works like Grapes of Wrath, Lolita, and Moby Dick had made it to the stage.Operatic Adaptions of Famous Novels

Elton John is no stranger to the musical stage. Beyond years and years of live performances, he also composed the score to The Lion King which has played on Broadway since the days of George M. Cohan. Sir Elton is also a voracious reader and he does much of his book shopping at Book Soup in Hollywood.Book Soup

Music legend and the "fifth" Beatle, George Martin passed away this past week at age 90. All Beatle fans know of his contributions to their songs. But the news of his passing led to panic among Game of Thrones fans who thought that George Martin had passed, prompting the author to deny rumors of his death.George Martin Denies Being Dead (Game of Thrones)

Speaking of fanboys and fangals, it seems that President Obama is a big Peanuts fan and has written the preface to the last volume of 25 republished by Fantagraphics and due out soon.President Obama Pays Tribute to Peanuts

As for myself, I am a huge, if not outsized, fan of Orson Welles. So it was a pleasure to read film critic Michael Wood's appreciation of the great American director, including some interesting thoughts on Welles' Chimes at Midnight, here in the New York Review of Books.Michael Woods on Orson Welles

Finally I note the passing of author Pat Conroy last week from cancer. He was a fine writer and The Prince of Tides is something of a masterpiece. If you haven't read his work before, give yourself the pleasure.Pat Conroy

And as promised, The Waters of March as sung by its composer Antonio Carlos Jobim. Please enjoy and let us know what great books you've got going this weekend.The Waters of March (on YouTube)

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